The present invention relates generally to agricultural applicators and, more particularly, to a fork assembly for an agricultural applicator.
Numerous types of agricultural applicators are available today. These can include a pull-type unit or a self-propelled unit. A certain known agricultural applicator is also referred to a “floater.” The floater is a large vehicle that uses oversized floatation tires to carry the vehicle across firm to muddy agricultural environments. The floater has a chassis assembly configured to support one or more bulk storage tanks or bins of product for application in an agricultural environment, usually before planting in the spring or after harvest in the fall. The type of agricultural product e.g., fertilizer, herbicide, pesticide, nutrients, etc. can vary. The floater can also be utilized to tow various agricultural implements. The oversize-tired agricultural applicator is generally desired for its ability to maneuver heavy loads over extremely rough and difficult agricultural terrain with minimal soil compaction.
The size of the floatation tires are selected based the desired load capacity for the floater. In other words, the greater the load capacity for the floater, the larger the tire that is needed. Not all consumers however initially demand the largest possible load capacity. As a result, some consumers initially purchase a smaller capacity floater and then at some time thereafter modify the floater to handle additional weight. One particular floater has a pair of rear floatation tires and a single front and relatively oversized floatation tire. Modifying such a three-wheel floater has typically involved replacing the front fork assembly to which the front floatation tire is mounted with a replacement front fork assembly constructed for use with a larger floatation tire. Thus, not only must the consumer replace the smaller floatation tire, but the consumer must also replace the front fork assembly. Needless to say, modifying the floater in such a manner can be costly.
Additionally, having a floater that can be modified in such a way can be problematic for the manufacturer. While wanting to satisfy both the initial purchase and post-purchase desires of its consumers cannot be discounted, manufacturing and maintaining an inventory of two different front fork designs for the same floater can prove costly for the manufacturer.
Therefore, there is a need for a floater that can be modified to handle larger load capacities without requiring replacement of the floater chassis.